Salesforce development with SFDX: Tips & tricks

SFDX allows you to create and work with scratch orgs within a snap. It helps Developers build and test applications in a completely organized and isolated way.

It is probably the most prominent feature of SFDX. The Salesforce CLI offers a chain of commands. From the commands to handling org management and data manipulation to metadata operations, you get everything at your fingertips. 

SFDX uses source-driven development, where you can define the metadata in source code files. Your configurations reside in version-controlled files, which empower you with traceability, collaboration, and automated deployments.

SFDX seamlessly integrates with Git, allowing you to track and configure your code and collaborate effortlessly. This means no code-loss headache.

SFDX also automates deployment processes, reduces manual errors, and accelerates the release cycle. 

Automation testing with SFDX feels like a breeze thanks to the built-in unit and integration testing support. It also allows you to create test suites for validating your code's accuracy.

The Dev Hub org is your central command post for managing scratch orgs. It allows you to create, manage, and gather insights into scratch orgs and second-generation packages. Any paid Salesforce org or free developer edition org can act as a Dev Hub.

Also known as 2GP, it facilitates app distribution by supporting unlocked packages in Dev Hub. It operates on package-driven development, enabling easy installation of unlocked packages and their versions.

Salesforce used to be very bullish on the 'low code' and 'no code' philosophy. But Developers stretched past the platform's limits, which made their lives hard.

Before SFDX, Developers would develop and deploy directly into production or sandbox environments.

Version control and testing were also challenging. Developer conflicts were the most common cause of project delays and complications, which called for a solution from Salesforce.

Salesforce had to develop a solution called SFDX. Since its beta launch in the Summer of '17, it has changed developers' lives.

SFDX introduced scratch orgs for clean and safe development. It also included integration with Git for robust version control, among other features.

It supports an end-to-end collaboration of Developers and testers in the SDLC (software development life cycle). SFDX covers every phase of the development journey, from the project's inception to code deployment. With SFDX, your development process becomes a well-orchestrated symphony.

SFDX follows a package-based, source-driven development approach and significantly uses VCS (version control system). This blend gives Developers a clear view of code changes and allows them to maintain code integrity confidently.

Through SFDX, you can automate testing processes, have collaborative version control, and achieve more frequent releases via continuous integration and deployment pipelines.

SFDX also helps streamline metadata organization for teams and organizations. It simplifies metadata management using a source-driven, command-line-centric approach. This makes sharing applications within and beyond your organization's walls easy.

SFDX provides a robust dependency API that gives Developers a clearer view of the dependencies between metadata. When you run queries on this API, you can see which components rely on others. In short, the dependency API simplifies development and reduces the likelihood of coding errors.

• Create a dedicated workspace: Choose a directory or folder to store all your SFDX projects. This separation keeps your work organized and makes it easier to manage multiple projects.
• Use version control: Install Git on your machine if you haven't already. Initialize a Git repository in your project folder using the 'git init' command. Add your project files to the Git repository with 'git add' and commit them with 'git commit -m "Initial commit."'
• Connect your Git repository to a remote Git hosting service like GitHub or Bitbucket for collaboration.

Create a default Dev Hub org by running 'sfdx force:org:list' and then 'sfdx force:config:set defaultdevhubusername=YOUR_DEV_HUB_USERNAME.'

Set up a scratch org definition file (such as 'project-scratch-def.json') specifying the features and settings you need for your scratch org.

You'll create a scratch org using the definition file with the command 'sfdx force:org:create -f path/to/project-scratch-def.json -a YOUR_ALIAS.'

Use the newly created scratch org for development by running 'sfdx force:source:push -u YOUR_ALIAS.'

• Source-driven development means defining your Salesforce metadata in source code files, such as objects, fields, Apex classes, and Lightning components.
• Use the SFDX source format, which includes metadata files in the 'force-app/main/default' directory.
• Use SFDX commands like 'sfdx force:source:push' and 'sfdx force:source:pull' to sync your local source with your scratch org.

• Choose a version control branching strategy such as GitFlow.
• Create feature branches for new features or bug fixes using 'git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name.'
• Commit changes to your feature branch using 'git commit -m "Your commit message."'
• Merge feature branches back into the main development branch when ready.
• Use Git tags to mark significant releases or milestones.

• Use the Salesforce test framework to write unit tests for your Apex classes and triggers.
• Cover different scenarios and edge cases within your tests. Ensure that your tests provide adequate code coverage (typically at least 75%).
• Create mock data within your tests to simulate real-world scenarios. Use test data factories or utility classes to generate test records.

• Set up a CI/CD pipeline (such as Jenkins and CircleCI) for your SFDX project that triggers automated test execution on code commits.
• Configure your CI environment to use Salesforce CLI to run tests in scratch orgs. Use the 'sfdx force:apex:test:run' command to execute automated tests after commits.
• Define code coverage thresholds in your CI pipeline to prevent code deployment with insufficient test coverage.

• Configure your CI/CD pipeline to automate the build process when changes are pushed to your version control repository.
• Include steps in your pipeline to run tests ('sfdx force:apex:test:run'), generate deployment artifacts, and package your code.

• Implement pre-deployment validation steps in your CI/CD pipeline to ensure code quality.
• Include code review processes in your pipeline to catch issues before they reach production.

• Communicate openly with team members through messaging platforms or collaboration tools.
• Use pull or merge requests in your version control system for code review and collaboration.
  

• Always pull the latest changes from the remote repository.
• Resolve merge conflicts gracefully using Git's merge tools, such as 'git mergetool.'
• After resolving conflicts, thoroughly test your code to ensure it works as expected.

Divide your large-scale project into modular components with well-defined boundaries. Maintain separate directories for each module to prevent code overlap.

Design your components to be reusable. Use custom Lightning components, Apex classes, and LWCs across different parts of your application.

Regularly monitor your code for compliance with Salesforce governor limits. Use tools like Salesforce Optimizer to identify potential limit breaches.

Set up automated performance testing using tools like Apache JMeter or Salesforce-specific performance testing tools. Identify and address performance bottlenecks early in the development process.

Use the 'sfdx force:org:create -f path/to/project-scratch-def.json -a YOUR_ALIAS' command with a scratch org definition file to create scratch orgs swiftly. '-f path/to/project-scratch-def.json' specifies the path to your scratch org definition file and '-a YOUR_ALIAS' assigns an alias to your scratch org for easy reference.

1. Commit early and often: Use 'git commit -m "Your commit message"' to commit changes frequently to your Git repository. Frequent commits make it easier to track changes and collaborate effectively.
2. Write meaningful commit messages: Write descriptive commit messages that convey the purpose of each commit. A well-structured commit message makes reviewing the code easy for other Developers.
3. Utilize branches for feature development: Create feature branches using 'git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name.' Feature branches isolate the development of specific features or bug fixes, making it easier to manage changes.
4. Resolve conflicts efficiently: When conflicts arise during branch merging, use 'git mergetool' to resolve conflicts gracefully. Ensure that your code remains functional after conflict resolution.

Use Apex to generate test data within your test classes programmatically. This approach ensures consistency and avoids reliance on static data that may change over time. For example, create test records for objects directly within your test methods.

Integrate your SFDX project with your CI/CD pipeline to automatically execute automated tests ('sfdx force:apex:test:run') upon code commits. Ensure test results are reported to your CI/CD environment for analysis.

• Install Salesforce extensions for VS Code: Install Salesforce-specific extensions and plugins to enhance your development environment.
• Utilize features: Take advantage of VS Code's features, including code autocompletion, syntax highlighting, and integrated Git support. Use the integrated Salesforce CLI within VS Code to execute SFDX commands directly from the editor.

• Familiarize yourself with Salesforce's governor limits, which restrict the resources and operations allowed in a single transaction.
• Review the Salesforce documentation to understand these limits and plan your code accordingly to avoid unexpected issues in production.

• Learn about deployment logs: In case of deployment failures, access deployment logs to identify specific errors or issues. Analyze the logs to pinpoint the root cause of deployment problems.
• Rollback plan: Always have a rollback plan ready for production deployments. In the event of deployment issues, you can quickly revert to a stable state to minimize downtime.

When working collaboratively, metadata conflicts may occur when multiple Developers modify the same components simultaneously. Use your version control system's merge capabilities to resolve these conflicts efficiently, ensuring that your codebase remains harmonious.

As you create and work with scratch orgs, managing them is essential.

Periodically clean up and delete unused scratch orgs using the 'sfdx force:org:delete' command to stay within your allocated resources and reduce clutter.

Use your preferred scripting language (such as Bash, Python, and PowerShell) to create custom scripts for automating various development tasks. Examples of tasks to automate include:

• Data seeding
• Metadata deployment
• Scratch org setup
• Automated test execution.

• Break down large-scale projects into manageable modules for large and complex projects with dedicated development teams and scratch orgs.
• Prioritize component reusability to minimize code redundancy and maximize efficiency.
• Conduct performance testing: Rigorously test your code for performance bottlenecks, especially in large-scale projects. Identify and address these issues early in the development process to ensure optimal performance in production.

• Issue: You may encounter errors when creating scratch orgs, hindering your development progress.
• Solution: Verify your scratch org definition file for errors, ensure you have allocated enough Salesforce licenses, and check if Dev Hub is enabled.

• Issue: Deploying changes to production or other environments may fail, resulting in deployment errors.
• Solution: Review deployment logs to identify specific issues, double-check metadata dependencies, and verify access permissions.

• Issue: Conflicts may arise when merging branches or collaborating with team members in a version-controlled environment.
• Solution: Utilize Git's merge tools to resolve conflicts, communicate effectively with your team, and establish clear branching strategies.

• Issue: Your code may inadvertently exceed Salesforce governor limits, leading to runtime errors.
• Solution: Monitor your code's resource consumption, refactor code to stay within limits, and employ bulk processing where necessary.

• Issue: Automated tests may fail for various reasons, including data-related issues or unexpected changes.
• Solution: Debug failing tests, validate your test data generation process, and ensure that your test classes are robust and up to date.